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67-581: The Shenzhou spacecraft carrying the three crew members was launched 25 September 2008, by a Long March 2F (CZ-2F) rocket which lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 21:10 CST. The mission lasted three days, after which the craft landed safely in Siziwang Banner in central Inner Mongolia on 28 September 2008, at 17:37 CST. The Shenzhou 7 EVA made the Chinese space program

134-410: A Hohmann transfer back to the original orbital height). As GPO engineer André Meyer later remarked, "There is a good explanation for what went wrong with rendezvous." The crew, like everyone else at MSC , "just didn't understand or reason out the orbital mechanics involved. As a result, we all got a whole lot smarter and really perfected rendezvous maneuvers, which Apollo now uses." Rendezvous

201-408: A launch escape system during liftoff. Its maiden uncrewed flight, Shenzhou 1 , was on 19 November 1999, with the first crewed mission, Shenzhou 5 , taking flight on 15 October 2003. It is slated for replacement by the next-generation Mengzhou , currently in development, with a two module configuration. The literal meaning of the native name 神舟 ( p : Shénzhōu; / ˈ ʃ ɛ n ˈ dʒ oʊ / )

268-404: A Chinese astronaut. Zhai slipped out of the orbital module in a head-first position at around 16:43 (0843 GMT) and wandered around the orbital module, retrieved experiment samples and waved the Chinese flag in space. The spacewalk lasted about 20 minutes, with Zhai returning to the orbital module at 17:00. The first space walk was limited in scope: cables were used to tie Zhai to the handrail outside

335-494: A NASA astronaut, Aldrin worked to "translate complex orbital mechanics into relatively simple flight plans for my colleagues." NASA's first attempt at rendezvous was made on June 3, 1965, when US astronaut Jim McDivitt tried to maneuver his Gemini 4 craft to meet its spent Titan II launch vehicle 's upper stage. McDivitt was unable to get close enough to achieve station-keeping, due to depth-perception problems, and stage propellant venting which kept moving it around. However,

402-607: A bigger cylindrical orbital module and four propulsion engines. There is enough room to carry an inflatable raft in case of a splashdown , whereas Soyuz cosmonauts must jump into the water and swim. The commander sits in the center seat on both spacecraft. However, the pilot sits in the left seat on Shenzhou and the right seat on Soyuz. The records information is all from Gunter's space page. All times are in Coordinated Universal Time . Space rendezvous A space rendezvous ( / ˈ r ɒ n d eɪ v uː / )

469-418: A certain orbital velocity. If the spacecraft fires thrusters and increases (or decreases) its velocity it will obtain a different orbit, one with a higher or lower altitude. In circular orbits, higher orbits have a lower orbital velocity. Lower orbits have a higher orbital velocity. For orbital rendezvous to occur, both spacecraft must be in the same orbital plane , and the phase of the orbit (the position of

536-480: A coverage of only 12 percent—and thus will increase the total coverage to about 62 percent of the mission. The Shenzhou 7 project consists of seven subsystems, with the Chinese military responsible for launching, recovering, crew, and tracking subsystems, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation responsible for the carrier rocket and spacecraft itself, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences responsible for

603-444: A deal with Russia in 1995 for the transfer of Soyuz technology, including life support and docking systems. The Phase One spacecraft was then modified with the new Russian technology. The general designer of Shenzhou-1 through Shenzhou-5 was Qi Faren (( Chinese : 戚发轫 ), 26 April 1933), and from Shenzhou-6 on, the general design was turned over to Zhang Bainan (( Chinese : 张柏楠 ), 23 June 1962). The first uncrewed flight of

670-453: A forward orbital module ( Chinese : 轨道舱) ; pinyin : Guǐdào cāng ), a reentry module ( Chinese : 返回舱) ; pinyin : Fǎnhuí cāng ) in the middle, and an aft service module ( Chinese : 推进舱) ; pinyin : Tuījìn cāng ). This division is based on the principle of minimizing the amount of material to be returned to Earth. Anything placed in the orbital or service modules does not require heat shielding , increasing

737-515: A higher orbit, which is associated with an orbital velocity lower than the target's. Consequently, the target moves faster than the chaser and the distance between them increases. This is called a natural braking effect , and is a natural safeguard in case of a thruster failure. STS-104 was the third Space Shuttle mission to conduct a V-bar arrival at the International Space Station . The V-bar, or velocity vector , extends along

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804-584: A line directly ahead of the station. Shuttles approach the ISS along the V-bar when docking at the PMA-2 docking port. The R-bar approach consists of the chaser moving below or above the target spacecraft, along its radial vector. The motion is orthogonal to the orbital velocity of the passive spacecraft. When below the target the chaser fires radial thrusters to close in on the target. By this it increases its altitude. However,

871-571: A manual docking was Georgy Beregovoy who unsuccessfully tried to dock his Soyuz 3 craft with the uncrewed Soyuz 2 in October 1968. Automated systems brought the craft to within 200 meters (660 ft), while Beregovoy brought this closer with manual control. The first successful crewed docking occurred on January 16, 1969 when Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5 docked, collecting the two crew members of Soyuz 5, which had to perform an extravehicular activity to reach Soyuz 4. In March 1969 Apollo 9 achieved

938-469: A number of foreign leaders for the successful completion of the mission, which marked a number of developments for China's space program, including several first-time achievements. The Shenzhou 7 Mission won the 2009 Space Achievement Award from the Space Foundation . On 27 September, Zhai Zhigang , wearing a Chinese-developed Feitian space suit , conducted a 22-minute space walk, the first ever for

1005-468: A projected launch date of 1973. Although China successfully launched an uncrewed satellite in 1970, its crewed spacecraft program was cancelled in 1980 due to a lack of funds. The Chinese crewed spacecraft program was relaunched in 1992 with Project 921 . The Phase One spacecraft followed the general layout of the Russian Soyuz spacecraft, with three modules that could separate for reentry. China signed

1072-419: A rendezvous off at three miles (5 km), have fun! This is when we started doing our work. I don't think rendezvous is over until you are stopped – completely stopped – with no relative motion between the two vehicles, at a range of approximately 120 feet (37 m). That's rendezvous! From there on, it's stationkeeping. That's when you can go back and play the game of driving a car or driving an airplane or pushing

1139-448: A skateboard – it's about that simple. Schirra used another metaphor to describe the difference between the two nations' achievements: [The Russian "rendezvous"] was a passing glance—the equivalent of a male walking down a busy main street with plenty of traffic whizzing by and he spots a cute girl walking on the other side. He's going 'Hey wait' but she's gone. That's a passing glance, not a rendezvous. The first docking of two spacecraft

1206-534: A spacecraft brings crew members or supplies to an orbiting space station. The first spacecraft to do this was Soyuz 11 , which successfully docked with the Salyut 1 station on June 7, 1971. Human spaceflight missions have successfully made rendezvous with six Salyut stations, with Skylab , with Mir and with the International Space Station (ISS). Currently Soyuz spacecraft are used at approximately six month intervals to transport crew members to and from ISS. With

1273-461: Is parallel to the target's orbital velocity. In the V-bar approach from behind, the chaser fires small thrusters to increase its velocity in the direction of the target. This, of course, also drives the chaser to a higher orbit. To keep the chaser on the V-vector, other thrusters are fired in the radial direction. If this is omitted (for example due to a thruster failure), the chaser will be carried to

1340-663: Is "the Divine vessel [on the Heavenly River]", to which Heavenly River ( 天河 ) means the Milky Way in Classical Chinese . 神舟 is a pun and neologism that plays on the poetic word referring to China , 神州 , meaning Divine realm , which bears the same pronunciation. For further information, refer to Chinese theology , Chinese astronomy and names of China . China's first efforts at human spaceflight started in 1968 with

1407-475: Is a set of orbital maneuvers during which two spacecraft , one of which is often a space station , arrive at the same orbit and approach to a very close distance (e.g. within visual contact). Rendezvous requires a precise match of the orbital velocities and position vectors of the two spacecraft, allowing them to remain at a constant distance through orbital station-keeping . Rendezvous may or may not be followed by docking or berthing , procedures which bring

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1474-402: Is a single-use vehicle composed of three modules. The descent module houses the crew during launch and reentry. The orbital module provides additional living space and storage during orbit but is jettisoned before reentry. The service module, responsible for propulsion and power, is also discarded prior to reentry. For added safety and aerodynamics, the spacecraft is encased within a fairing with

1541-533: Is based on the Androgynous Peripheral Attach System (APAS). Up until Shenzhou 8, the orbital module of the Shenzhou was equipped with its own propulsion , solar power , and control systems , allowing autonomous flight. It is possible for Shenzhou to leave an orbital module in orbit for redocking with a later spacecraft, a capability which Soyuz does not possess, since the only hatch between

1608-485: Is reduced by use of the active vehicle's reaction control system . Docking typically occurs at a rate of 0.1 ft/s (0.030 m/s) to 0.2 ft/s (0.061 m/s). Space rendezvous of an active, or "chaser", spacecraft with an (assumed) passive spacecraft may be divided into several phases, and typically starts with the two spacecraft in separate orbits, typically separated by more than 10,000 kilometers (6,200 mi): A variety of techniques may be used to effect

1675-472: Is to dock an active vehicle, the "chaser", with a passive "target". This technique has been used successfully for the Gemini, Apollo, Apollo/Soyuz, Salyut, Skylab, Mir, ISS, and Tiangong programs. To properly understand spacecraft rendezvous it is essential to understand the relation between spacecraft velocity and orbit. A spacecraft in a certain orbit cannot arbitrarily alter its velocity. Each orbit correlates to

1742-558: The CX-OLEV , which is being developed for rendezvous with a geosynchronous satellite that has run out of fuel. The CX-OLEV would take over orbital stationkeeping and/or finally bring the satellite to a graveyard orbit, after which the CX-OLEV can possibly be reused for another satellite. Gradual transfer from the geostationary transfer orbit to the geosynchronous orbit will take a number of months, using Hall effect thrusters . Alternatively

1809-725: The Moon , the ascent stage of the Apollo Lunar Module would rendezvous and dock with the Apollo Command/Service Module in lunar orbit rendezvous maneuvers. Also, the STS-49 crew rendezvoused with and attached a rocket motor to the Intelsat VI F-3 communications satellite to allow it to make an orbital maneuver . Possible future rendezvous may be made by a yet to be developed automated Hubble Robotic Vehicle (HRV), and by

1876-486: The Shenzhou 5 mission. These vibrations were described by Shenzhou 5 astronaut Yang Liwei as hard to endure. Corrective measures were implemented for the Shenzhou 6 mission, but since then more improvements have been added to the carrier rocket , to the pipes of the second stage, and to more than thirty other parts of the spacecraft.. The Orbital module has been modified and its solar panels removed in order to allow for

1943-561: The Soviet Union launched pairs of spacecraft from the same launch pad, one or two days apart ( Vostok 3 and 4 in 1962, and Vostok 5 and 6 in 1963). In each case, the launch vehicles ' guidance systems inserted the two craft into nearly identical orbits; however, this was not nearly precise enough to achieve rendezvous, as the Vostok lacked maneuvering thrusters to adjust its orbit to match that of its twin. The initial separation distances were in

2010-609: The United States Strategic Command , at 15:07 Greenwich Mean Time on 27 September 2008, the Shenzhou 7 ship passed within 45 kilometers of the International Space Station . There is no international laws defining distance of passage of outer space objects. China did not respond to queries about why it allowed its ship to pass so close to the space station. Richard Fisher, a senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center, in an opinion piece in

2077-536: The Wall Street Journal noted that the Shenzhou 7 had launched its companion satellite BX-1 four hours earlier. The IASC is a "think-tank" focused on medium and long-term security issues and their impact on the security of the United States and her key allies. He noted "China's track record of using all of its Shenzhou missions since 1999 for dual military-civil missions," and speculated that China may have used

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2144-592: The Xichang Satellite Launch Center on a Long March-3C carrier rocket on 25 April 2008. The Tianlian I satellite will be used to speed up communication between the Shenzhou 7 spacecraft and the ground stations, and to increase the amount of data that can be transferred to the ground. The Tianlian I satellite alone can cover 50 percent of the orbit of Shenzhou 7—whereas the Yuanwang space tracking ships, along with China's ten ground observation stations, have

2211-438: The translational and rotational maneuvers necessary for proximity operations and docking. The two most common methods of approach for proximity operations are in-line with the flight path of the spacecraft (called V-bar, as it is along the velocity vector of the target) and perpendicular to the flight path along the line of the radius of the orbit (called R-bar, as it is along the radial vector, with respect to Earth, of

2278-581: The EVA experiment. For this same reason, in contrast to previous Shenzhou missions, it will not remain in space after its separation with the departing crew in the Return module. Handrails have been added to the external wall of the Orbital module to allow the space walking astronaut to reach specific experiment areas. More cameras have been installed on this spacecraft than on the Shenzhou 6 vessel, in addition to those covering

2345-475: The Gemini 4 attempts at rendezvous were unsuccessful largely because NASA engineers had yet to learn the orbital mechanics involved in the process. Simply pointing the active vehicle's nose at the target and thrusting was unsuccessful. If the target is ahead in the orbit and the tracking vehicle increases speed, its altitude also increases, actually moving it away from the target. The higher altitude then increases orbital period due to Kepler's third law , putting

2412-484: The Orbital module and the Return module. Two new, recently commissioned Yuanwang-class tracking ships , Yuanwang-5 and Yuanwang-6, played a key role in the Shenzhou VII mission. Custom-made, compact, foldable toilets allow the astronaut's collected urine to be scientifically inspected. Most of the Shenzhou 6 project management team has stayed for the Shenzhou 7 mission. Changes in personnel include: According to

2479-550: The Russian segment of the ISS. Several uncrewed spacecraft use NASA's berthing mechanism rather than a docking port . The Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV), SpaceX Dragon , and Orbital Sciences' Cygnus spacecraft all maneuver to a close rendezvous and maintain station-keeping, allowing the ISS Canadarm2 to grapple and move the spacecraft to a berthing port on the US segment. However

2546-410: The chaser's orbit is synchronized with the target's orbit. That is, the chaser will be accelerated. This increase in velocity carries the chaser to a higher orbit. The increase in velocity is chosen such that the chaser approximately assumes the orbit of the target. Stepwise, the chaser closes in on the target, until proximity operations (see below) can be started. In the very final phase, the closure rate

2613-496: The first internal transfer of crew members between two docked spacecraft. The first rendezvous of two spacecraft from different countries took place in 1975, when an Apollo spacecraft docked with a Soyuz spacecraft as part of the Apollo–Soyuz mission. The first multiple space docking took place when both Soyuz 26 and Soyuz 27 were docked to the Salyut 6 space station during January 1978. A rendezvous takes place each time

2680-436: The functioning of Shenzhou. Two pairs of solar panels , one pair on the service module and the other pair on the orbital module, have a total area of over 40 square metres (430 sq ft), indicating average electrical power over 1.5 kW ( Soyuz have 1.0 kW). Although the Shenzhou spacecraft follows the same layout as the Russian Soyuz spacecraft, it is approximately 10% larger and heavier than Soyuz. It also has

2747-633: The hatch was closed. The space walk was broadcast live on Chinese media, and two cameras provided panoramic images. The Feitian spacesuit is similar to the Orlan-M (known as Haiying , 海鹰, in Chinese) in shape and volume and are designed for spacewalks of up to seven hours, providing oxygen and allowing for the excretion of bodily waste. According to Chinese media reports, spacesuit materials with such features as fire and radiation resistance were developed by several civilian corporations and national institutes. Each suit

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2814-554: The introduction of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, the US is able to use their own launch vehicle along with the Soyuz, an updated version of SpaceX's Cargo Dragon; Crew Dragon. Robotic spacecraft are also used to rendezvous with and resupply space stations. Soyuz and Progress spacecraft have automatically docked with both Mir and the ISS using the Kurs docking system , Europe's Automated Transfer Vehicle also used this system to dock with

2881-591: The mission and three others to serve as a backup crew. The Long March 2F rocket launched the Shenzhou 7 into an initial elliptical orbit of 200 x 330 kilometres inclined at 42.4 degrees on 25 September 2008. About seven hours later the spacecraft raised its orbit to a more circular orbit of 330 x 336 km. After three days in space, deorbit manoeuvres began on 28 September at 08:48, and the return module landed at 09:37 UTC at coordinates 42°16′41″N 111°21′18″E  /  42.278°N 111.355°E  / 42.278; 111.355 . China has been congratulated by

2948-415: The opportunity to pass near the space station to test "co-orbital" antisatellite interception technology. Shenzhou spacecraft Shenzhou ( Chinese : 神舟 ; pinyin : Shénzhōu , / ˈ ʃ ɛ n ˈ dʒ oʊ / ; see § Etymology ) is a Chinese spacecraft developed for the nation's crewed space program . Its design was based on Russia's Soyuz , but larger and modernized, Shenzhou

3015-403: The orbital and reentry modules is a part of the reentry module, and orbital module is depressurized after separation. For future missions, the orbital module(s) could also be left behind on the planned Chinese project 921/2 space station as additional station modules. In the uncrewed test flights launched, the orbital module of each Shenzhou was left functioning on orbit for several days after

3082-445: The orbital module, and his moving route was restricted to areas near the exits. Liu Boming , wearing a Russian Orlan-M suit, stayed in the airlock in the orbital module to provide help if necessary. Liu also conducted an EVA, standing up at 08:58 UTC to hand Zhai a flag. The third astronaut, Jing Haipeng remained in the re-entry module to monitor the general situation of the spacecraft. By 09:00 UTC both astronauts were back inside and

3149-415: The orbital velocity of the chaser remains unchanged (thruster firings in the radial direction have no effect on the orbital velocity). Now in a slightly higher position, but with an orbital velocity that does not correspond to the local circular velocity, the chaser slightly falls behind the target. Small rocket pulses in the orbital velocity direction are necessary to keep the chaser along the radial vector of

3216-545: The payloads on board the spacecraft (other than the crew). A columniform water training pool of 23 metres (75 ft) in diameter and 10 metres (33 ft) in depth, located in China Astronaut Training Center, simulates the weightlessness experienced in space. A model of the Shenzhou orbital module has been used in the pool to train the crew for the space walk. Special attention has been paid to solving vibration problems that were encountered 120 seconds into

3283-534: The range of 5 to 6.5 kilometers (3.1 to 4.0 mi), and slowly diverged to thousands of kilometers (over a thousand miles) over the course of the missions. In early 1964 the Soviet Union were able to guide two unmanned satellites designated Polyot 1 and Polyot 2 within 5km, and the crafts were able to establish radio communication. In 1963 Buzz Aldrin submitted his doctoral thesis titled, Line-Of-Sight Guidance Techniques For Manned Orbital Rendezvous. As

3350-597: The reentry modules return, and the Shenzhou 5 orbital module continued to operate for six months after launch. The reentry module ( Chinese : 返回舱) ; pinyin : Fǎnhuí cāng ) is located in the middle section of the spacecraft and contains seating for the crew. It is the only portion of Shenzhou which returns to Earth's surface. Its shape is a compromise between maximizing living space and allowing for some aerodynamic control upon reentry. The aft service module ( Chinese : 推进舱) ; pinyin : Tuījìn cāng ) contains life support and other equipment required for

3417-528: The space available in the spacecraft without increasing weight as much as it would if those modules were also able to withstand reentry . The orbital module ( Chinese : 轨道舱) ; pinyin : Guǐdào cāng ) contains space for experiments, crew-serviced or crew-operated equipment, and in-orbit habitation. Without docking systems, Shenzhou 1–6 carried different kinds of payload on the top of their orbital modules for scientific experiments. The Chinese spacecraft docking mechanism (beginning with Shenzhou 8)

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3484-425: The spacecraft in the orbit) must be matched. For docking, the speed of the two vehicles must also be matched. The "chaser" is placed in a slightly lower orbit than the target. The lower the orbit, the higher the orbital velocity. The difference in orbital velocities of chaser and target is therefore such that the chaser is faster than the target, and catches up with it. Once the two spacecraft are sufficiently close,

3551-455: The spacecraft into physical contact and create a link between them. The same rendezvous technique can be used for spacecraft "landing" on natural objects with a weak gravitational field, e.g. landing on one of the Martian moons would require the same matching of orbital velocities, followed by a "descent" that shares some similarities with docking. In its first human spaceflight program Vostok ,

3618-516: The spacecraft was launched on 19 November 1999, after which Project 921/1 was renamed Shenzhou , a name reportedly chosen by Jiang Zemin . A series of three additional uncrewed flights were carried out. The first crewed launch took place on 15 October 2003 with the Shenzhou 5 mission. The spacecraft has since become the mainstay of the Chinese crewed space program , being used for both crewed and uncrewed missions . Shenzhou consists of three modules:

3685-460: The spacecraft, then maneuvered to about 100 to 200 kilometres (62 to 124 mi) away from the spacecraft. After the return module separated from the spacecraft and re-entered the atmosphere, the satellite caught up to the orbiting spacecraft using a liquid ammonia engine, then continue to orbit around the spacecraft. The mini-satellite will work for about three months. China launched its first data relay satellite , called Tianlian I (天链一号), from

3752-444: The spacecraft. The satellite was a cube about 40 cm (16 in) long, with a mass of 40 kilograms (88 lb); it carried boost devices and two 150-megapixel stereo cameras . The satellite's tasks included testing the mini-satellite technology, observing and monitoring the spacecraft, and testing the tracking and approaching technology used for space rendezvous and docking . The miniaturized satellite took photos and videos near

3819-429: The target). The chosen method of approach depends on safety, spacecraft / thruster design, mission timeline, and, especially for docking with the ISS, on the location of the assigned docking port. The V-bar approach is an approach of the "chaser" horizontally along the passive spacecraft's velocity vector. That is, from behind or from ahead, and in the same direction as the orbital motion of the passive target. The motion

3886-519: The target, and thus "catches up" with it. For the R-bar approach from above, the chaser is in a higher (slower) orbit than the target, and thus has to wait for the target to approach it. Astrotech proposed meeting ISS cargo needs with a vehicle which would approach the station, "using a traditional nadir R-bar approach." The nadir R-bar approach is also used for flights to the ISS of H-II Transfer Vehicles , and of SpaceX Dragon vehicles. An approach of

3953-405: The target. If these rocket pulses are not executed (for example due to a thruster failure), the chaser will move away from the target. This is a natural braking effect . For the R-bar approach, this effect is stronger than for the V-bar approach, making the R-bar approach the safer one of the two. Generally, the R-bar approach from below is preferable, as the chaser is in a lower (faster) orbit than

4020-467: The third to have conducted an EVA. EVAs had previously been conducted by the space programs of the Soviet Union (later Russia) and the United States. The crew for Shenzhou 7 was announced on 17 September 2008. Of the back-up crew, only Chen Quan had not previously flown in space. Shenzhou 7 was the first Chinese space mission to carry a three-person crew for several days and conduct a full operation. A total of six astronauts were trained, three to conduct

4087-441: The tracker not only above, but also behind the target. The proper technique requires changing the tracking vehicle's orbit to allow the rendezvous target to either catch up or be caught up with, and then at the correct moment changing to the same orbit as the target with no relative motion between the vehicles (for example, putting the tracker into a lower orbit, which has a shorter orbital period allowing it to catch up, then executing

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4154-426: The two spacecraft are already together, and just undock and dock in a different way: NASA sometimes refers to "Rendezvous, Proximity-Operations , Docking, and Undocking " (RPODU) for the set of all spaceflight procedures that are typically needed around spacecraft operations where two spacecraft work in proximity to one another with intent to connect to one another. The standard technique for rendezvous and docking

4221-521: The updated version of Cargo Dragon will no longer need to berth but instead will autonomously dock directly to the space station. The Russian segment only uses docking ports so it is not possible for HTV, Dragon and Cygnus to find a berth there. Space rendezvous has been used for a variety of other purposes, including recent service missions to the Hubble Space Telescope . Historically, for the missions of Project Apollo that landed astronauts on

4288-456: Was achieved on March 16, 1966 when Gemini 8 , under the command of Neil Armstrong , rendezvoused and docked with an uncrewed Agena Target Vehicle . Gemini 6 was to have been the first docking mission, but had to be cancelled when that mission's Agena vehicle was destroyed during launch. The Soviets carried out the first automated, uncrewed docking between Cosmos 186 and Cosmos 188 on October 30, 1967. The first Soviet cosmonaut to attempt

4355-500: Was first successfully accomplished by US astronaut Wally Schirra on December 15, 1965. Schirra maneuvered the Gemini 6 spacecraft within 1 foot (30 cm) of its sister craft Gemini 7 . The spacecraft were not equipped to dock with each other, but maintained station-keeping for more than 20 minutes. Schirra later commented: Somebody said ... when you come to within three miles (5 km), you've rendezvoused. If anybody thinks they've pulled

4422-399: Was installed on the outside wall of the orbital module, and was later retrieved during the space walk, after having been exposed in space for more than 40 hours. The experiment was aimed to study a lubricant which will be used for space-based moving components in future space facilities. A miniaturized satellite was released during the mission on 27 September at 19:24, after Zhai returned to

4489-449: Was reported to have cost 30 million RMB (about US$ 4.4 million). Except for the gloves of the Feitian suit, the space suits were not brought back to Earth. A fire alarm was reported to the control center at the beginning of the EVA, but it was confirmed to be a false alarm. Scientists conducted a solid lubricant exposure experiment during the mission. A piece of equipment the size of a book

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